cutting boards

[schmitty28]

what type of cutting board is preferred wood, plastic, vinyl,?

[deguerre]

And WHY? Looking forward to this one.

[cpw]

Depends on where it's being used. I like wood at the house, but I have a big ole plastic one (18x24) that I bring to comps, because it's thinner. I've been thinking about getting a pack of disposables for comp use though.

[Iso]

Vending & Comp: Disposable.
At home: plastic - easy to clean

[schmitty28]

why? food safety, wear and tear,

[Pyle's BBQ]

I use plastic. Just because of the environment it is being used.

[timzcardz]

Originally Posted by cpw

I've been thinking about getting a pack of disposables for comp use though.

Stop wasting your time thinking, and just do it. You'll have no regrets.

Heck, I now sometimes use the disposable ones at home too.

[maxwell7]

everything i read on cutting board saftey ultimately says --WOOD--less bacteria growth , less cut marks , and cleans easily. I also have 3 boards i use . ALL are 30 bucks each from walmart and Paula Dean Acacia wood boards. One is normal 15x15 , the other two are both " Flour" baking boards and thinner ,( approx 15x20 or so) but one is a cutting board for use in spatch-cocking chicken and the like, the other IS a baking board. All Acacia wood ,essentially end-grain , beautiful , and i love them. NO problems thus far , and i'd recommend to anyone. Besides , how many of us can REALLY afford 1,2,and 300 dollar boards?

[Motley Q]

Bamboo is it.

Wood boards are 1980's news. Anyone who says wood hasn't used bamboo.

Plastic boards can cut and get very dirty. Anyone who works in a restaurant knows that.

[Arlin_MacRae]

Home only: I've used all kinds of cutting boards (I even found my wife using a glass one - once...) and I'm a believer in plastic. You can get 'em big as you want and they're easy to store and move around. Yep, they get cut up and I'm sure bacteria can hide in the cuts if you don't clean the boards right. So...clean the board right! I scrub with a dish cloth and soap, rinse, then spray with commercial bleach cleaner. Lean it up against the sink's backsplash and let it air dry. I've had no funky taste, ever, and discolored spots fade away like magic.
For the record I've never tried bamboo. ;)

[Mad About Que]

I've got 2 wood ones that i used to carry around, one is a 24x20 boos block and the other is a 12x18 block that was made for a family memeber in the 60's. too small to use for BBQ, but looks friggin cool. I've got a couple pf the large plastic ones for comps currently, but have a few packs of various sizes on my "wish list"..

here's a on topic sub question.. has anyone ever used just regular poster board for a disposible cutting board? just a guess that the disposible ones are any more "sanitary" out of the package... was looking at one a while back and it looked/felt like thin posterboard...

[thillin]

Originally Posted by Mad About Que

here's a on topic sub question.. has anyone ever used just regular poster board for a disposible cutting board? just a guess that the disposible ones are any more "sanitary" out of the package... was looking at one a while back and it looked/felt like thin posterboard...

I have heard of people using pizza boxes. not sure, but i assume they were the thin ones, not the corrogated cardboard.

[landarc]

I use Epicurean pressed fiber boards. And I am slowly phasing out all of my other boards.

Bamboo:
very durable, all the benefits of wood, but, easier to take care of and more tightly grained. I do not like them because I feel they are slow boards and that they 'grab' the edge.

Wood:
Unless it is end grain maple, they all wear out and crack. End grain maples is wonderful stuff, but, pricey and heavy.

Plastic:
Easy to care for, easy to sanitize, light, cheap and easy to handle. Bad for knives. Other than glass, there is no board that is worse for you knife edges.

Glass:
Why not just take your knives on and scrape them across the sidewalk?

Epicurean boards are thin and light, they are easily cleaned (dishwasher safe) and sanitized (will work in a commercial steam sanitizer, or bleach), water proof, do not need oiling and will not split or crack. They are not cheap ($35 to $50), but, nowhere as expensive as a quality wood board ($150 to $300). They are a fast cutting surface and do not damage the edge on even the thin edged Japanese carbon knives.

[maxwell7]

I've had two bamboo boards and liked them. However, both were washed appropriately , dried , oiled , and stored on edge--and cracked. one down the middle , another 2-3 inches in.Granted , they were thinner boards , not expensive , and certainly not 2 or more inches thick , nor end grain. So , I'll stick with my 2 inch or more thick affordable wood boards until I can afford a thick end-grain bamboo.!!

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

For what it may be worth to this discussion, Cook's Illustrated recently gave its top rating to an edge grain teak board by ProTeak. It is not as expensive as Boos, but is pricey.

Once I read their recommendation, I started using the back of a Dansk teak carving board that I have been using since 1966. So far I notice little difference from the bamboo boards I have been using for the past two years. Perhaps it will be easier on the knife edge as it seems softer.

I use boards at home only.